THE 27 spring lambs forward for Skipton Auction Mart’s latest Bank Holiday Monday sale sold to an overall average of £113.34 per head, or 250.2p/kg.

Robert Towers, of Camp House Farm, Farleton, Lancaster, and Charles Marwood, of Whenby, near York - the two principals at the previous week’s Easter show - again led the way with Charollais-cross consignments.

Mr Towers sold a total of six pens at three figure prices, including three at £116 per head, joint top price of the day, and to 252.2p/kg, while Mr Marwood sold four £100-plus pens to highs of £114 and 277.5p/kg, the leading by-weight price.

The 1,744 old season lambs on parade sold to an overall average of £83.03 per head, or 188.9p/kg, compared to £79 and 189.2p/kg the previous week. The day’s principal per head price fell to a £121 Texel pen from Neil Tattersall, of Ellerton, York, while Beltex pens sold to a top of £120 per head and 315.8p/kg, the leading by-weight price, for submissions from the Fox family in Clitheroe.

Also forward were 307 cast sheep, with cull ewes averaging £75.22 per head and cast rams £83.70 each, both up on the previous week.

Hellifield’s William Watson was responsible for the top price pens of Texel ewes at £138.50 and £134.50, while the pick of the rams, a £127.50 Texel, came from the Walmsley family, who trade as D and A Livestock at Haverah Park, Harrogate.

Prime cattle numbers were light. Of the nine under 30-month entries, the leading price per kilo at 254.5p/kg fell to a 450kg Limousin-cross heifer from Malcolm Metcalfe, of Baldersby Park. It joined Keelham Farm Shop, who made four acquisitions.

Top gross price was £1,274, or 225.5p/kg, for another Limousin-cross heifer from Threshfield’s Charles and Richard Kitching, who were also responsible for the two joint top price Limousin-cross steers, which each made £1,218, or 219.5p/kg. The heifer sold to Stanforths Butchers in Skipton, who also made a second acquisition.